Occult Rituals

It’s a common belief that only those initiated in the rites and practices of arcane, divine, or psychic magic can cast spells, but this is not strictly true. Hidden within dusty libraries and amid the ramblings of lunatics lie the mysteries of another form of spellcasting—occult ritual magic. These spells are rare, coveted by both those eager to gain their power and those wishing to hide their existence. Most traditional spellcasters consider these rituals dangerous and uncontrollable, something to be avoided or used as a last resort. They fear the power these ceremonies grant to the uninitiated, as the rituals allow those with only a glimmering of understanding the ability to interact with the underlying fabric of magic.

While anyone can attempt to cast occult rituals, the process is fraught with peril. The strange and intricate incantations are often challenging to perform with precision, and failure can weaken the casters or even unleash horrors upon the world. Even when successfully performed, each occult ritual has a price—a backlash that affects at least the caster leading the ritual, and often those assisting in its performance.Click here for the full rules on Occult Rituals.

SourceDisciple's Doctrine pg. 32School conjuration (summoning); Level 5Casting Time 50 minutesComponents V, S, M (an offering of food, artwork, or clothing valued at 100 gp), F (a handcrafted shrine worth 500 gp), SC (up to 20)Skill Checks Knowledge (nature) DC 32, 3 successes; Knowledge (planes) DC 32, 2 successesRange 100 ft.Effect one summoned kami manifestationDuration 1 day (D)Saving Throw none; SR noBacklash The primary caster takes 2d6 points of damage and becomes exhausted. The secondary casters become fatigued.Failure A zuishin appears and attacks all of the casters until the zuishin or the casters are destroyed. Afterward, all kami completely ignore the casters for 1 year and will not answer to any ritual in which any of those casters are involved.

Effect

The primary caster appeals to a local kami to ask for assistance in battle. The casters must assemble a shrine within 100 feet of the kami’s ward. Once the ritual begins, the casters each utter a unique prayer to the kami, complete with devotionals and explanations about why the kami’s help is needed. If the casting is successful, the kami manifests (as per summon monster V) and fights alongside the casters. This kami uses the statistics for a kodama and refuses to move farther than 1 mile from its ward.